We are a Magic: The Gathering & tabletop gaming community site, a place for everyone to publish their thoughts and feelings. Here you will find content to help you from the kitchen table to your first GP, and everything in between. Spoilers | Buy MTG & Miniatures | Create a free Manaleak Blogspot

Dark Souls: The Gathering Custom Designed MTG Set

Gameplay Mechanics & Keywords

In the land of the Lordran, death is not privileged to those cursed with the Darksign. Instead of dying, those who are cursed respawn at bonfires that are connected to the First Flame, which is the source of all light. They cannot die, but their minds fade, and they will inevitably become “Hollow.” This is the main concept that was used for Dark Souls: The Gathering’s gameplay mechanics and keywords.

Darksign/Kindle

The two most important keywords in the set are Kindle and Darksign. When you Kindle, you may return cards with Darksign from your graveyard to your hand. Of course, with card advantage like that, there must be a drawback. When a card with Darksign enters the graveyard, it checks to see if you have any Hollow counters on yourself. If you have three or more, that card is exiled. If you have two or fewer, you put a Hollow counter on yourself.

This works in three ways; by closing potential two-card loops, by working in synergy with other keywords (more on that later), and by fitting the flavour of the set. Kindling is the act of feeding the flames of a bonfire to increase its power. Those who are cursed with the Darksign use this power to regenerate and heal, just as a player uses kindling to respawn cards into their hand. Eventually, a player may go “Hollow” and will begin to lose those cards into exile. This doesn’t mean that those cards are gone forever, though. The light of the First Flame also brings the dark of the Abyss.

Reach from the Abyss

Reach from the Abyss is a new mechanic that allows you to cast cards that any player owns from exile. The Abyss is a place of absolute darkness that corrupts, and that goes for your opponent’s cards too. Any card that you or an opponent exiles is fair game to any player when dealing with this mechanic. In this set, the exile zone is not as permanent as other Magic: The Gathering sets would prefer, but that is one of many things that make Dark Souls: the Gathering unique.

Reverse Hollowing

Hollowing is a fate that many in Lordran find to be worse than death. They will taken certain measures to prevent this. Reverse Hollowing is a keyword that removes a Hollow counter from yourself. Many cards will reward you for having a low Hollow count. This ability also helps create a few loops in dedicated “aristocrats” decks. It is the simplest of the newest keywords, but by no means the weakest.

Scale is a keyword that is reminiscent of Scavenge. It works almost identically with only a few differences. Instead of putting a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that creatures strength, it puts X counters instead, where X is the number following the keyword (Scale 3 would put three counters). This means that the ability could cost less when put onto high power creatures. It also means that it can go on noncreature spells. In Lordran, soldiers scavenge titanite shards from fallen foes. Some warriors even scale the dragons they kill, using it to infuse into their weapons and armor. This is represented through the mechanic.

Crystal Magic

Seath was a dragon sorcerer who lacked scales, which brought immortality. His jealousy led him to betray his own kind. After he helped the gods defeat the dragons, he was prized with dukedom and an archive, where he can learn to make his own scales. It was in these archives that Crystal magic was developed. The keyword attempts to mimic Seath’s obsession and discovery by rewarding the player for digging deep into his library with milling and card draw spells. There is a high focus on graveyard play in the set, so there are plenty of effects that help mill yourself. Those effects are great in a deck with crystal magic.

Chaos (X)

When the First Flame began to fade, the witch of Izalith and her daughters attempted to to recreate it. They lost control of their creation and were consumed by it. The keyword Chaos represents their attempt. When you cast a spell with Chaos, you are given the opportunity to exile a certain number of cards from your graveyard to copy that spell. A powerful ability has powerful consequences, and most cards with Chaos will punish you for copying them. You are also running the risk of having your exiled cards stolen by your opponent with reach from the Abyss. Perhaps it’s you who embraces the Chaos, and exiling those cards is part of a bigger plan.

Drafting Archetypes

White/Black – Darksign/Sacrifice

This colour combination represents the cursed undead as a whole. They may choose different paths, but their fates are intertwined. The plan is to abuse Darksign, Kindle, and Reverse Hollowing to out-value your opponent. There are also powerful loops that can be created with sacrifice abilities.

Black/Green – Graveyard/Skeleton Subtype

This colour combination represents Nito, his gravelord servants, and others that may live in the catacombs. The plan is to mill yourself to throw creatures in the graveyard to scale them out or to bring them back later with recursion spells. After a card is exiled with the Scale ability you can re-cast it by reaching from the Abyss. There is also a subtheme of skeletons in this colour combination.

Green/Blue – Crystal Magic/Scale

This colour combination represents Seath’s archives and his Crystal magic. The plan is to mill yourself to activate Crystal magic and to throw Scale cards into your graveyard. There are also many counters-matters cards in blue and green.

Blue/Red – Spells/Prowess

This colour combination represents the sorcerers and pyromancers of Lordran. The plan is play spells to trigger Prowess and to fill your graveyard only to recur them with Kindle or exile them for a Chaos cost. Cheap cantripping and deck manipulating abilities are good here.

Red/White – Aggro

This colour combination represents the heroes of Anor Londo and their lightning miracles. The plan is to get aggressive and to put pressure on your opponent before they can generate value from their cards. Darksign and Kindle allows you to return powerful pump spells to your hand while utilising Reverse Hollowing to gain maximum benefit from Hollow-matters cards.

White/Blue – Darksign/Control

This colour combination represents Gwyndolin and the Blades of the Darkmoon. The plan is to be reactive and to generate as much value as possible. Milling Darksign cards into your graveyard to Kindle them back will lock your opponent out of a victory.

Blue/Black – Control/Abyss

This colour combination represents the Abyss and those corrupted by it. The plan is to control your opponents with removal, bounce, and tempo abilities while exiling powerful cards to be cast later.

Black/Red – Aggro

This colour combination represents the witches of chaos and the demons that their flame created. The plan is to put extreme pressure on your opponent, similar to red/white. Many black creatures mill it’s controller when it enters the battlefield. This allows for Chaos to be cast more easily. After they are exiled, you can reach to cast them again.

Red/Green – Blighted Tribal/Wither

This colour combination represents the infected beings of Blighttown. The plan is to follow a blighted tribal theme, playing cards that synergize with other blighted cards. There is also subtheme of -1/-1 counters. Many cards will even allow you to turn +1/+1 counters into -1/-1 counters.

Green/White – +1/+1 Counters/Dragon Tribal

This colour combination represents the humans and dragonoids who follow the path of the dragon. It also represents those who hunt the dragons and use their remains to improve their weapons and armour. The plan is to follow a +1/+1 counter-based deck that makes its creatures bigger than your opponents. There are also plenty of counters-matters and dragons-matters cards that will synergize fluidly.

All of the amazing art for this set was found from fan art websites, blogs, art books for the game, and manipulated screenshots. The cards are cited to the best of their ability, but there are still a few images that are difficult to find sources on. I am currently working on them until all work is cited. Otherwise, the art will be replaced.

BLACK

RED

GREEN

ARTEFACTS

MULTICOLOUR

LAND

TOKENS, COUNTERS & EMBLEMS

Darksign (Whenever this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, if you have three or more Hollow counters, exile it. Otherwise, you get a Hollow counter.)

Kindle (Choose a card with Darksign in your graveyard. You may return it to your hand.)

Reverse Hollowing (You may remove a Hollow counter from yourself)

Chaos X (When you cast this spell, you may exile X cards from your graveyard. If you do, copy this spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.)

Crystal Magic – If you have twenty or less cards in your library, you get some sort of benefit.

Scale X – Exactly like Scavenge, but puts X +1/+1 counters rather than the creature’s power. This allows it to be put onto noncreature spells.

Reach from the Abyss (Choose a nonland card in exile. You may cast that card and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any colour to cast it. Then, if its an instant or sorcery, exile it face-down.)

Dark Souls: The Gathering Custom Designed Magic: The Gathering Set, by Jared McLaughlin

Jared McLaughlin just made a 280 card Magic: The Gathering custom designed set based on the popular video game Dark Souls, and it's actually pretty good. Please feel free to print the cards below out and have some fun!

FOLLOW US FOR MORE!

We are the longest running Magic: The Gathering retailer in the UK, trading since 1998. The secret to our success is very simple: we make sure that you get the best value for money on all our Magic products, we make sure that you get your MTG order as quickly as possible, normally within 1 working day, and we make sure that you get the best customer service available. Probably the most important thing of all, is that we are a community based business.

Manaleak.com
is rated 4.86 stars by Reviews.co.uk based on 44 merchant reviews

4.86 / 5 Rating

44 Reviews

These guys cant be more highly recommended friendly and fast response happy to help. even with my 20 emails... :)
trade in went smoothly... and my cards arrived the follow day
Superb... will be using these guys for all my card purchasing
If i had a third hand id give them three thumbs up!! :)

Jonathan

I'm shining, what can I say three shiny's in my 60 pack, assorted swamp and forest cards very happy and quick delivery highly recommend. Thanks manaleak.

Michael

perfect seller, got a booster package for free (i think you get this when ordering over a specific amount, anyhow nice!)!
there was some delay with package but the customer service was very helpful!
Highly recommend this seller!